"Where is Nancy?" In the early morning of October 28, local time, an attacker broke into the home of Nancy Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, in San Francisco, looking for Pelosi everywhere.
But Pelosi was not at home that day, and her husband, Paul Pelosi, was the target of a violent attack and was eventually injured and taken to the hospital. Pelosi's spokeswoman, Drew Hamill, said the attacker had been taken into custody, the motive was under investigation and Paul was expected to make a full recovery.
Pelosi may arrive in San Francisco late Friday, and her motorcade has been seen arriving at the hospital where Paul was treated, according to the Associated Press on October 29.
The attack on Pelosi's husband coincided with the upcoming midterm elections in the United States, heightening concerns about political violence among U.S. lawmakers and other officials.
The motive for the attack is still under investigation
In the early hours of October 28, an attacker broke into the Pelosi couple's home in San Francisco, hit Pelosi's husband Paul with a hammer, and injured his head and body with blunt objects, and was taken to the hospital for treatment that day.
On October 28, 2022 local time, San Francisco, USA, Paul Pelosi, husband of Pelosi, speaker of the US House of Representatives, was attacked at his home. Currently, the attacker has been detained. Photo/IC photo
At that time, the attackers broke in and shouted: "Where is Nancy? He then tried to tie Paul up until Pelosi came home. However, he did not get his wish, Paul called the police, and the police arrested Pelosi before he appeared.
Originally born and raised in San Francisco, Paul married Pelosi in 1963, has five children, and runs a venture capital firm. On August 23 this year, Paul pleaded guilty to one count of drunk driving and was sentenced to five days in prison, suspended for three years. However, he may not serve his sentence in prison.
At present, the FBI and the United States Capitol Police, which have a field office in California, are assisting the San Francisco police in their investigation, and the attacker has been detained by the police, but his exact motive has not yet been identified.
Police said the attacker was David Depp, 42, who was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse and burglary, and remained in hospital late on the 28th. San Francisco Police Chief William Scott also revealed details of David's break-in into Pelosi's home through the back door of Pelosi's home at a press conference.
But there is still less information about the attackers. According to the Associated Press, the attacker's stepfather, Jean DePape, said David lived with him in Canada until he was 14 and was a quiet boy.
"He was never violent." Jean DePape added that he has not been seen since 2003 and although several attempts to get in touch with him have been unsuccessful.
Pelosi's husband was attacked or due to security breaches
Pelosi is one of the most powerful figures in the United States, having been elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives in 2007, 2009, 2019 and 2021, becoming the second in line to the US presidency, behind Vice President Kamala Harris.
In 1987, Pelosi successfully ran for the US House of Representatives, and since then she has been elected to office, and by 2022, she has served in Congress for 35 years. During her tenure, Pelosi frequently traveled between San Francisco, California and the Washington area.
The Pelosi's San Francisco home has been targeted by protesters several times in recent years, such as in January 2021, when protesters used black paint to write signs on Pelosi's garage door with the slogans "Rent canceled" and "We want everything" and threw a pig's head down the driveway.
Data map: Pelosi, speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States Congress, and husband Paul Pelosi. Photo/IC photo
With the November 8 midterm elections just around the corner, Pelosi is holding fundraising and campaigning with Democrats across the country. Her husband, Paul, was in Washington when his home in San Francisco was attacked. As Speaker of the House of Representatives, she is protected by security guards.
But her husband, Paul, has less security. The New York Times pointed out that the incident exposed the security loopholes of members of the US Congress, and when Pelosi was not in San Francisco, Paul had no security.
The Associated Press reported that after the attack on Paul, the U.S. Capitol Police, which is responsible for protecting congressional leaders, is also considering providing additional protection for Pelosi's family.
Biden is worried about corroding the American political climate
Regarding the attack, US President Biden said that incidents like Paul's attack are not allowed to happen in the United States.
"There's too much political violence, too much hatred, too much abuse." Biden said at a Democratic rally in Pennsylvania on Oct. 28, "What makes us think it won't corrupt the political climate, enough, enough." ”
Other U.S. officials also condemned Paul's attack.
San Francisco Police Chief William Scott said, "This attack did not happen randomly, but was intentional. This is not right. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell posted on social media that he was "shocked and disgusted" by the attack. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer also said "attacking Paul Pelosi is a despicable act." ”
A number of media pointed out that the incident has intensified concerns about political violence in the United States.
October 27, 2022 local time, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, the midterm elections are approaching, and Pennsylvania Board of Elections staff are preparing for the printing of ballot papers. Photo/IC photo
The British "Guardian" said that the key midterm elections in the United States, Pelosi's husband was attacked by a bloody hammer, raising concerns about political violence in the United States. In recent years, US lawmakers, judges and political candidates have been repeatedly threatened with violence, and the attack on Pelosi's husband is the latest one.
The Guardian cited for example the arrest of a man with a gun after threatening to kill Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh outside his home in June. A month later, Seattle police received a call saying a man was standing outside the home of congresswoman Pramila Jayapal to deliver death threats. Days later, New York State gubernatorial candidate Lee Zelding was attacked during a campaign event when a man armed with a sharp weapon rushed at him.
The Associated Press reported that the attack on Pelosi's husband echoed last year's Capitol riot, adding new unease to the already "toxic" political climate in the United States.
On January 6, 2021, some Trump supporters also broke into the U.S. Capitol building shouting similar slogans to Paul's attackers, "Where is Nancy?" when Pelosi and other congressional leaders were moved to safety.
After the 1.6 Capitol riot, a Capitol police investigation found that threats against members of Congress were on the rise, from 3,939 in 2017 to 9,625 in 2021, more than doubling every year. There have been several high-profile attacks on lawmakers in recent years, such as the shooting death of Republican Steve Scalis during baseball practice in 2017 and the shooting death of Democrat Gabriel Giffords at a campaign event in 2011.
The New York Times pointed out that security concerns have become so prominent that members of Congress are devoting a lot of resources to protecting themselves. An October analysis of congressional and campaign finance data by The Times said lawmakers have spent more than $6 million on security since the beginning of last year.
Pelosi's spending is relatively small: from January 2021 to September this year, about $34,000 was spent, with more than 20 House members spending more on security, with Missouri Democratic Rep. Corey Bush topping the list, spending nearly $400,000 on personal security during the same period.
Although U.S. lawmakers have stepped up security, they still face many security risks.
The New Yorker website commented that the United States is facing a crisis of political violence and extremism, and the attack on Pelosi's husband is a harbinger of worse. After obtaining an internal announcement obtained by the New York Police Department, Reuters reported that the New York Police Department had called for "increased vigilance" ahead of the US midterm elections and warned of possible attacks by extremists on political campaigns and polling sites.
Beijing News reporter Zhu Yuehong
Editor Liu Qianxian Proofreader Lu Qian